Better than Basketball
by toffeeandblue
Summary: This story belongs to Rowena, someone who wrote this wonderful senru fic, and I'm posting it up cos I really don't want to lose this story. IT'S NOT MINE! So don't be surprised if you think you've read it before and it's not by me.


THIS FANFIC IS NOT MINE. IT'S BY SOMEONE NAMED ROWENA.

I read this story long ago on the Meltwater website (), but I tried to find it again recently and it was gone. So I searched for it frantically everywhere and finally managed to find it again here: .com/anime5/deep_

I want to post this up because I love this story, and I don't want to lose it again and never be able to find it.

Below is the original c+p version of the story from the website.

PS: If you are reading this Rowena-san, I just want to say that I love your fanfic so much! *LOVE*

---

**BETTER THAN BASKETBALL**

Rating: PG  
This can be read like a series of drabbles. I began writing this a long time ago, like years ago. I've decided that this has gone far too long, and that I just needed to finish it. Hope you enjoy it anyway.

**1.**

"Oi, slow down!" You're exhausted. You're sweating profusely, and you need to take a break badly.

The other boy on the court looks at you, a smirk playing on his lips. "Hn." He continues dribbling the ball, and throws it your way.

You let it slide past you, barely giving it a glance. You wipe your face with your shirt, inhaling sharply. "You're playing like a man possessed."

"Is there any other way to play basketball?" he asks you flippantly.

His answer doesn't surprise you at all. You've been having these one-on-one games for a while now, and playing with him has always been intense and exhausting.

"20-18. Better do something now if you want to win."

You're losing. You want to blame it to the fact that you slept late last night to review for a test, but you know that Rukawa has gone so much better since the inter-high and his stint in the Japan Youth Team. Made him quite cocky, too. And as much as you pride yourself for being calm and serene about everything, the idea that he's now actually winning against you is ruffling your colorful feathers.

But you really are tired. And hungry. So you're going to let this pass and give the younger boy time to gloat until you rip him apart in the next game.

"How about we eat dinner instead?" you ask him, playing your sweet smile to the hilt.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

He shrugs. "I win, then." He walks to his bag and wipes himself with a towel. You follow him, doing the same. You turn to him and jokingly take a sniff.

"You smell," you tease him. That earns you a glare from him, which never ceases to amuse you.

"You smell worse," he tells you evenly.

"Hah! I smell like flowers," you reply, sitting down on the floor to take a fresh shirt from your bag.

Rukawa pays you no heed as he takes off his shirt. You watch him, very much entranced. You can see the sweat running down his chest, all the way to his navel. You smile appreciatively at the sight.

"Stop staring."

"Hmmmm?"

"If the others only knew what your true colors are."

"What are you talking about?" You take your own shirt off and replace it with a clean one. You need a shower badly but it would have to wait.

"Let's just go and eat. I need to go home early."

You stretch your arms and stand up. You walk up to him, standing very close. "Hmmm what is Rukawa-kun planning to do tonight?"

"Nothing," he says, slightly ruffled. "Are you ready?"

You let out a laugh and pinch his cheeks. "You're so cute, Rukawa-kun!"

Rukawa slaps your hand away. "Whatever. Tell it to your women," he says haughtily.

"Hmmm," you reply.

**2.**

Practice has just ended. You can see Kumiko, your latest conquest, waiting for you at the bleachers. You give her an unenthusiastic smile, not really looking forward to going out with her tonight.

You're just about to enter the shower room when you catch a glance of Rukawa standing at the gym door. The air lightens all of a sudden, and a smile creeps into your face.

"Missed me, love?"

"Doing anything tonight?" he asks you nonchalantly, completely ignoring your remark.

"Nope."

"I'll wait for you outside. Don't take longer than twenty minutes."

"What? If we're playing, why would I bother taking a shower? We can just go right now."

"We're not playing. I just figured we could go eat together."

That takes you by surprise. You look at him curiously for a few moments, and then mentally shake your head when you begin noticing how it's making him feel uncomfortable. Amazingly, you can't come up with a smart retort at that.

"Okay then."

It's much, much later, when you're eating noodles with Rukawa in this small restaurant that he's discovered while taking a walk after one of your one-on-one sessions (or so he says), that you realize that you've completely forgotten about Kumiko.

**3.**

He's at your door, inviting you to go play one-on-one with him.

"I can't play with you today. I have a big test coming up. I can't fail the damn thing," you tell him.

He stares at you dubiously. "Just tell me if you've got a date, you don't have to lie to me."

Eh? "I'm not just gonna ditch you for a date!"

He raises his eyebrows at that. Perhaps, you've said it more seriously than how you would have liked. "What's your test?"

"Bloody trigonometry," you tell him, showing him your notebook.

"Is that your handwriting? It looks like crap," he says, dead-pan.

"It's a butch handwriting! It's manly!"

"Whatever. No wonder you're failing. See, you're doing it completely wrong here."

You stare at him, very much amused. "Okay, I'm supposed to listen to someone a year younger than me, who almost didn't get to play for failing his subjects?" You tweak his nose playfully. "I don't think so."

He gives you a wan look. "I'll show you."

It turns out that he doesn't know more than you do after all, but he spends the night figuring it all out with you. Not even once has basketball been brought up. You fix him a sandwich and tries to make him drink a glass of milk, which he balks at, but ends up drinking anyway.

When he tells you that he needs to go home, you give him a pat on the head. This earns you a pout, and you laugh and give him a hug instead.

"Thank you, Rukawa."

"You owe me."

"You smell nice."

He pushes you away, but you can see that there's a small smile playing on his lips. "I'll see you whenever."

"I'll ace the test for you, Rukawa."

Surprisingly, or maybe not, you do.

**4.**

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Off to see a game. The captain is requiring it."

"Yeah? What time?"

"Around three in the afternoon."

"I'll come with you," you say, never bothering to ask for permission.

"Don't you have a date or something?"

"Nah," you reply, shaking your head. "Besides, I need to learn how to set my priorities straight," you reply. You think you're teasing, but you know it rings true more than you'll ever admit. You take the chance to give him a brief look, and something about the confusion on his face tugs at your heart, giving it a warm glow.

"I'm coming to see it with the team," he suddenly says to you, his voice a little uncertain, a little softer.

You shrug your shoulders. "Will that be a problem?"

He shakes his head, looking at you.

You give him a devilish grin. "You want to see it with just the two us?"

He glares right back at you, but he doesn't say anything. You put your arm around his shoulders.

"I'll go with you," you say again, "and that's it."

And that was that.

The next day, you promptly meet him at the basketball stadium. The other guys give you questioning looks as you sit down next to him, but you ignore them all with a smile.

You begin to notice a girl looking your way. It takes you a while to realize that she's been admiring Rukawa all along. You smile at this and turn to your companion. "That girl likes you, doesn't she?" you whisper to him.

He shrugs his shoulders, sipping his drink.

"She seems like a nice girl. And pretty, too."

"You like her? You can go ask her out if you like," he tells you almost petulantly.

"You got her number?"

He looks at you as if trying to comprehend if you're serious or not. "No, I don't."

"Good," you tell him with a chuckle. "She's not my type."

**5.**

"Kainan has a game tomorrow afternoon with Shoyo. You're going, aren't you?" Rukawa asks you.

"Well " you reply a little distractedly. Kumiko has been whining about not seeing you for a while now. She's been irritating the hell out of you, but having her where you want her is a comfort.

"I'm interested in seeing Kainan play without Maki. And Shoyo without Fujima and Hanagata."

"I have a date," you suddenly blurt out.

"Oh."

It has become quiet all of a sudden. Too quiet. You don't understand the awkwardness in the air, can't fully comprehend what it's doing here at the moment.

"Well I guess I'll go ahead now."

"Okay," you say softly, watching him stand up. You have this sudden urge to grab his hand and make him stay, but you do nothing.

The date turned out to be a disaster. You spent all night thinking about nothing but him.

**6.**

Later that night, after debating over it for far too long in your mind, you finally decide to give him a call.

"Hello?" a monotonous voice answers.

"Hey Rukawa," you say, trying on the sultriest voice you can ever muster.

"Who is this?" Grumpy.

"Don't tell me you don't recognize this voice?"

When you hear the sound of the dial tone, it takes you a while to realize that he has slammed the phone on you. Not believing what just happened, you re-dial his number.

"What do you want?" is the first thing he says when he answers the phone.

"Did you just slam the phone on me?"

"Yeah, so?"

"That wasn't very nice."

"What do you want?"

"Nothing. I just want to hear your voice."

You can almost see him roll his eyes at that. "Well, you've heard it. Goodbye."

You can't believe this. You know this is supposed to annoy you, but you can't stop smiling, and the first thing that comes to your mind thinking about this is the word adorable.

"Rukawa," you immediately say as soon as he answers the phone.

"I don't have time for this."

"Can I see you tomorrow?"

"What for?"

"I miss you."

"You just saw me this morning."

"I know. Made me realize a lot of other things."

"Sendoh, what do you really want?" There is a weariness in his voice that throws you off for a moment.

You begin to choose your words more carefully. "I couldn't sleep. Something didn't feel right."

You await his reply. When you realize that he's not going to say anything, you continue. "I really want to see you."

"When?" he asks very quietly.

"Right now?" you ask him, feeling triumphant.

"Are you crazy? It's almost one in the morning!"

You let out a big laugh. And then very seriously, you tell him, "It was a disaster. I couldn't stop thinking about this other person. I've lost myself."

A few seconds pass before he answers. "I'll see you tomorrow," he says softly.

"Okay. We can do anything. Maybe walk down the beach, go fishing. Eat at that restaurant you like so much." Your heart is beating faster than usual. "Anything."

"Alright. Goodnight."

"What, no goodnight kiss?" you tease him.

Dial tone again. It's okay, though, you know you'll be sleeping tonight with a smile on your face.

**7.**

"This is very peaceful, isn't it?" You take a deep breath, sniffing the fresh air around you. "Sometimes, I can't think of anything better than this when I just lounge around here, watching the sunset."

"Only you can play basketball and call fishing as your hobby," Rukawa says, shaking his head. "You really do like the sea."

"I do." You look at him. "I like how seemingly calm it is on the surface, but then rages on when you least expect it. I like that you can look at it from here, never knowing how deep and wide it really is, but having this intense desire to know. I don't think I'll ever get enough of it."

He looks on at the ocean, before slowly turning his head to look at you. There's a look of understanding in his eyes, and you both know that you're not exactly talking about the sea anymore.

"How about you, Rukawa-kun? What do you think of it?" You hold your breath as you wait for his answer.

"Better than basketball," he tells you, a soft smile playing on his lips.

Wha- You look at him, eyes widening. Your jaws are locked, and you can't seem to get a word out of your mouth. And he is still there, the soft wind playing on his hair, that beautiful smile on his handsome face.

He leans into you and brings his face very close to yours. "This. Right here, right now. Being with you " You can feel his breath tickling the side of your face, and it all seems so overwhelming. "It's better than basketball," he whispers.

You let out the breath you've been holding, and try to compose yourself. Rukawa brings his hand to your face and begins to stroke your cheek. It is amazing, really, that you think you've fallen in love with hundreds of girls in the past, and it takes a simple moment like this to bring out the sap in you.

But there's nothing simple about what Rukawa said, and you know it. It's the best damn compliment you've ever received in your life.

And before you know it, he's standing right before you, giving you a coy smile. "Last one to get to your house cooks dinner," he says, before taking off.

"Hey," you whisper, still sitting there with a dumbfounded look in your eyes. And you try to bring yourself back to reality, Rukawa's words finally sinking into you. "Hey," you say again, screaming this time. You let out a loud laugh, and almost trip over when you stand up to run after him. "Who says I want you in my house?"

"You always do," you hear him answer. And you don't even know if he said that loudly, you think that he's the only one you can hear right now.

In your mind, you imagine yourself literally throwing caution to the wind. You're happy, and that's the only thing that matters at the moment. That, and the vision of the beautiful boy still running ahead of you, looking equally happy. Things are going to be just fine.

**End.**


End file.
